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Recruitment Drive, Part Two.
Tyrants 'Issue 36- "Recruitment Drive, Part Two." ' '''Front cover- '''The left half of Kaan'Qsst's head is on the right of this cover, looking at the reader with the one visible eye. In the background of the cover is Yu, Master of Disguise, kicking up a foot at the reader, in front of him is The Bio-Luminal crouched down on his forearms, glowing softly, next to Yu is Null, mask on, hands clenched and pointed at the reader, as a white circle of energy surrounds his hands, and Fraud is stood next to him, idly leaning against the right border of the cover. Above them fly Icarus on the left and Dark Magician on the right. The issue opens above the Militia base; the base is nestled within a valley in the mountain range northeast of the city proper. There is a large area of woodland at the bowl of the valley, on the east side of it, running to the bottom of the mountain, and west of that is the military base, a river running right along it, running down from the mountains. To the south of it, behind a huge mountain is the smaller area of cliffs that got destroyed in the Tyrants previous battle. From above, the dots of people are easily visible, but none of the Militia are currently flying or doing anything quite obvious enough to indicate the presence of super powers. The base is mostly made of prefabricated buildings of various sizes, most low roofed, long rectangular buildings with corrogated roofs. The comics zooms in show a large white tent at the eastern border of the base, near an electric fence closely bordered by trees. Outside the tent are three different portals; one a swirling veritcal green circle, one, cylindrical white effect and another a purple, oblong shape. Various MIlitia are entering and exiting the portals, bringing with them desks, racks of test tubes, various pieces of machinery and so on, along with several metallic crates which the reader will have seen before during the Rook arcs of Tyrants, and will recognise the crates which carry Surge vials. The comic cuts to where we last left the Tyrants, in the command tent. The comic opens with Kaan'Qsst in the background, his back turned to the rest of the Tyrants, who the reader can see. Narration- "Not long ago." "Your plan is -what-?" Null says. "Okay, I know I have an army who I can have make a Victorian style bath anytime I want, but even still, that plan is pretty messed up", says Fraud, feet still up on the desk. "Personally, as someone who is of an age where armies of the dead are pretty classical, I quite like it. And it has a modern twist!" says Dark Magician. "It may sound disgusting, but with such an army, we wouldn't be risking the death of any others." "Precisely, Yu" says Kaan'Qsst, turning to the others, still holding Dungeon Master's detached positronic brain. "This army that Fraud binds.,.. is that not more distasteful, to the bind the will of unwanting men?" Null folds his arms. "I believe I already stated my views, both on this army, and the control there of." "Hey, like I said, if you can find a way for me to release them, and have them not try and kill me... all ears", says Fraud, holding out his hands placatingly. "The army if of use for now. This base must be defended, whilst Null does his work... if he agrees to it", says Kaan'Qsst turning fully, hands behind his back, looking at Null. "I once fought for a ''lack ''of superhumans, now, you want me to, already amongst a super-powered army I was forced to create, want me to make you a ''larger ''one?" Kaan'Qsst holds out the metallic brain. "A super-powered army which you would be responsible for the programming of." He holds it close to Null's face. "So, if you say, wanted to build in an off switch... immediately, and irrevocably deactivating the entire army, you could." "When you use if for your purposes, first" says Null, expression unguessable, beneath his mask. "Of course", says Kaan'Qsst, his own expression, quite neutral. "You want me to ''ask ''him to do it, so you know, he doesn't **** you over" says Fraud, putting his hands behind his head as he leans further back in the chair. "That will not be necessary. If Mister Stevens wishes to leave, he may." Kaan'Qsst points at the interest. "Of course, without his inventive skills, I will be unable to build the army I require. And should the so called heroes fail, then he will have an alien invasion on his conscience." "So really, I have no choice", Null says, standing up to look at Kaan'Qsst. "No, you do. You may make your own private attempts to save your planet. You are a clever man, you may come up with something that better appeals to your moral fibre. Or, if moral fibre is truly your worry, then you can go back to the GSPD. They can pay you, and you may even find your solution, or help the heroes find one. Or you can trust me, that in the end, the GSPD's morals, ethics, and rules will be their undoing." Kaan'Qsst walks past Null, so that his back is to everyone again. "The Kraan are a menace; they find a planet, they..." "I know what they do. You told me. And our planet has had experience with them." "Do you think the heroes have what is take to exterminate them as is neccesary?" Kaan'Qsst turns back to Null. "They may be forced to." "Why force them, when there are already those of us ready and willing to take the responsibility unto ourselves." "I am not ready to have a scientific work used, to build some... some damn super-powered army of the damned!" "All I asked you to do was reprogram and replicate this", he holds out the brain. "The army will be virtue of my gifts. My burden to bear. Not yours." "But you ''have ''no burden. You would do ''anything ''to eradicate the Kraan." "And that is why I will be the one to save your planet. But only with the help I require. Without that help, you rely on the world's governments, and the trust they have put into these super-heroes. Super-heroes whose very corrupt natures drew you to construct a drug to remove your threat. An act which some saw as monstrous. But did it succeed?" "I... I reduced the city from 95% superhuman to 1 percent..." Null bows his head. "And is that what you wanted?" says Kaan'Qsst. Nulls arms slackened. "I wanted to be rid of them all. But I was sick. My mind was sick." Kaan'Qsst leans close into Null, bending his knees, so he is looking right at Null's obscured eyes. "You spent years in their prison. Is that simply what they made you think?" Null steps back, tearing off his mask, throwing it to the floor. "No, they were ''right. ''I was a monster. ''Am ''a monster!" "And yet you succeeded in what you set out to do. You removed the city's overburdened superhuman population, and as a result, Team Titan disbanded not long after. Order came to your city, back to the humans. And then Team Titan returned, and brought with them the GSPD, and forced you into servitude, because they made you believe that what you did was wrong. Did you kill? Yes. Did you break so called ethics... yes!" "But now you want me to undo what I did..." Kaan'Qsst gestures out at the Militia in the camp. "No, Blitzkrieg did that! Now I simply ask you to once again see that a terrible act can be the act needed. Make ''use ''of a mistake, make it an advantage. You have the power to take away the power of these men, and the soldiers I would have you create. Something you already did once, except it was not a power you gave, not a power you had the right to take away. Yes? Is that what the heroes made you believe?" "Yes, I played God... I...." Dark Magician steps forward. "Well this time there is no playing. You gave the men in this camp power. You can take it with your Nullifier. The soldiers you help Kaan'Qsst create... you can undo them as you choose, You ''will ''be a god." Null, now just Graham Stevens, without his mask, drops to his knees, looking at the floor. "But I simply wish to be a man." Dark Magician kneels down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And you have the power to do that too. But first, you have a planet to save. How about that? A god, then a hero, then simply a man? Is that not all a human being could want? That is what you could have!" Null stands up, scowling at Dark Magician. "I will have no demon on my shoulder making temptations!" "Did not the heroes do the same? Lure you into the GSPD, with promises of freedom from prison, redemption? How popular ''is ''the family name right now, Stevens?" Stevens turns his back. "All right, I'll do it. But not with any pleasure. And if your plan fails, and yet I live, god help both of you." Dark Magician smirks at Kaan'Qsst, giving a sideways glance. The alien's expression is stone. "So be it, Stevens" says Kaan'Qsst. "Fraud, have your teleporters go to Incredilabs and..." "I will go with them to secure the equipment", says Stevens, donning his mask. "So be it." Fraud and Stevens leave the tent. Yu looks to Kaan'Qsst. "Fraud has a point; how will you be able to gurantee he won't turn your army against you at a critical point?" "His powers do not affect all of us. And Graham Stevens is not a hero, I doubt he will risk his own hide out of some newly discovered sense of morality?" "And what if he does?" The comic zooms in on Kaan'Qsst. "Then, if I am incapacitated, I hope you rip out his spine." Yu stands. "I am not a killer, you know." "Then there will be others that will stop him if neccesary." "You hope. What do you wish of me to do in this fight?" says Yu. "Fight. That will do. You may find yourself killing, when the Kraan come." "You assume this little alliance will last emergence back to Earth. The Titans are here, and one of them in particular has a large vendetta against me." "Then help protect my interests, and I will protect yours." Yu nods, and leaves. "It is a delightfully dangerous game you play, Kaan'Qsst" says Dark Magician. "I know. I allied with you." Kaan'Qsst leaves. Narration- "Now." Fraud stands by the portals where men move in and out, as at the start of the issue. "Fraud, I need to collect three more things... may I borrow your teleporters?" The comic cuts to the outside of the ruined super-prison, the Omega Institute, where Kaan'Qsst and his fellows fought the Reichdroids. Sat on the steps of the Omega Institute, is Bio-Luminal. "Ah, old friend. Reliable as always" says Kaan'Qsst. The creature just simply stares on... if it can, without a face. Kaan'Qsst scans the street. "Counter... fled?" Bio-Luminal raise one of his fingers. "Damn, I'd hoped for a hostage. Wait, there, a moment, my friend." Kaan'Qsst goes into the prison. There is a panel showing Bio-Luminal sat exactly in the same spot, completely unmoving. Kaan'Qsst comes back out, with a dead Pokerface clone slung over one shoulder. He looks to Bio-Luminal and says "Test subject for my new army." He then looks at the Reichdroid wrecks. He then looks in at the other clones bodies. "Hmm... shame to waste resources..." The comic then cuts to show the base side of the portal. In a pile, are all the Pokerface corpses. Out of the portal, comes Kaan'Qsst, carrying over his head, the wreck of a Reichdroid shifter. "Super zombies with cyborg brains not enough, eh, Conquest?" says Fraud, eyebrow raised. "Every army needs its elite", says Kaan'Qsst. "You got everything planned, don't you?" asks Fraud. "Not quite. There is another, rather talented at planning, whose help would be invaluable. Thank you for reminding me of him." "Oh yeah? Who? Rajah?" "No. Cain." End of issue.